Summer 2016

9 Weeks of PURE BLISS

June- July 2016

This summer seemed so short and quick but we were able to travel and have the trip of a LIFETIME as Chris and I celebrated our 10th anniversary in Alaska and even the kids were able to travel the southern US touring baseball stadiums with Gigi Shirley and Poppy! I have said it each year but the summers just keep getting better and better! We are so lucky and blessed to be able to teach and do what we love and still be able to spend these priceless weeks together as a family. Here is a recap of our summer 2016!

Week 1- June 5th- 11th

Astros Buddy Game- Astros vs Athletic (Astros won 5-2)

This was our 1st of 2 Astros Buddies game and the kids were even able to run the bases after the game! We LOVE baseball and our Astros!

Puppy Store and Woodlands Mall Playground

This became a once a week thing as it was indoors in the AC and the kids just loved the puppy store!

Top Golf and SmashBurger- Luke's Birthday Celebration part 1

Luke wanted to have a birthday weekend like Natalie had last year so we had 3 days of fun activities and he chose to start the weekend at Top Golf. We went early in the morning and we had a great time. We then ventured down the road to try the much talked about and reviewed SmashBurger. We were not impressed and will not go out of our way to eat there again.

Houston Zoo- Luke's Birthday Celebration Part 2

On June 11th we went to the Houston Zoo to celebrate Luke's birthday as it was supposed to rain on Sunday, his actual birthday This was a great trip as we saw the bears eating and walking around as well as the gorillas were play fighting in their cage. It was followed by a trip to our local Chick-fil-A as Luke is really easy to please!

Week 2- June 12th- 18th

Happy 4th Birthday Luke! Sunday, June 12th we celebrated Luke's 4th birthday with Gigi and Grandpa. We began the day with Shipley's donuts and church. We then went to Vero Italian kitchen because he requested pizza and opened gifts. He had a GREAT day and it is so hard to believe he is already 4! Where has the time gone? I love you Lukey!

Good Bye Houston... Hello Seattle

Chris and I flew into Seattle, WA for our Alaskan cruise a few days early to tour this spectactular city as well as Vancouver, BC. It was a marvelous trip. You can read about it HERE!

Week 3- June 19th- 25th

All Aboard the Carnival Legend

Chris and I boarded the beautiful Carnival Legend in Seattle, WA to take the cruise of a lifetime (at least thus far) to Alaska for our 10th Anniversary. It was INCREDIBLE! You can read about it HERE!

Week 4- June 26th- July 2nd

Baseball Bucket List Check- Off- Safeco Field & a Mariners Game

Growing up my family based our vacations off of baseball games and stadiums as my dad had a wish to see a game in EVERY Major League stadium in the US (and Canada) before he died. I have seen ALL of the stadiums except those on the West Coast and Arizona. Chris promised me when we got married he would take me to those satdiums before I died. He took me to Minute Maid Park ( I had only been to the Astrodome) back in 2010 and JFK Stadium to see the Washington Nationals when we traveled to Washington DC in 2007. It has taken him some years but he is fulfilling his promise! Only 6 more to go now!

Week 5- July 3rd to 9th

Let the real Rest and Relaxation Begin

This week we did a lot of catching up with house cleaning and laundry since we were gone the entire month of June but we also did a lot of nothing. I was busy most days writing our Seattle and Alaska blogs (Found HERE). I was reminded just how much I love summer as I sat and pretty much did nothing and whatever I wanted... when I wanted! It was GLORIOUS! 

Week 6- July 10th -16th 

Astros Buddies Game  

We started the week off with a Astros game at Minute Maid park. It was our last buddies game of the season and the kids had a blast. They even got to run the bases again! 

Submerged VBS at Mims Baptist Church 

Natalie was able to go to VBS at our home church everyday and even had a playdate with her bestie. All the while Luke was able to spend quality time alone with mommy, daddy and Gigi Jackie. 

Week 7- July 17th- 23rd

Last Week of "nothing" 

We started the week off with a check-up at Luke's doctor for his 4 year old check-up. He had to have shots but he did very well. Then we went to the church to practice baseball as a family. It was HOT but we all had a blast. We spent time at the movies, the mall and even the park.  

Week 8- July 24th-30th 

We are Family 

Grandma Juanita and Virg (My grandma and the kids GREAT grandma) came to visit at the beginning of the week and John, Leeanna and Madisyn (Chris's brother and family) came to visit as well. 

Happy Birthday Kids 

We ended the week with the much anticipated double birthday party for Natalie and Luke at the splash-pad, iFly and Build-a-Bear. It was a crazy busy week but we loved EVERY minute of it! 

Week 9- July 31- August 6th 

Aunt Sissy time

John and Leeanna took a mini-vacation and left Madisyn with Gigi and Grandpa for a few days so I got to be "Aunt Sissy" and spoil this little angel rotten. We went to the zoo, the mall and did so many fun things. Natalie and Luke LOVED being older siblings! But... There will be NONE of that! 3 kids is HARD... I do not know how some people do that! I mean we went to ZONE DEFENSE instead of MAN-ON-MAN! Chris and I would lose that battle! Thank you Lord for one of each and we will QUIT while we are ahead! 

Girls Weekend in Dallas 

We ended this week with one last HOORAH before the school year started as Natalie and I traveled to Dallas for a girls weekend with my mom and sister! We shopped til we dropped (It was Texas tax-free weekend... it was AWFUL) and had a great weekend of fun-filled memories. 

Back to the old routine... It is time for teachers to report! This summer was the best summer we have had, despite the amazing past few summers! We were able to take the trip of a lifetime and experience God's handiwork in both the Pacific Northwest and Alaska and then spend 5 glorious weeks with our family and friends! This summer was literally shorter than previous years and it went by even faster than usual but I am so grateful we got these 9 weeks! I feel blessed to have been able to spend that time with my family! 

Luke starts Pre-K this year... Wow, where has my baby gone? And Natalie will be entering 2nd grade which is SO hard to believe. Chris will be starting his 6th year of teaching and taking on yet again a full load this school year. I will begin my 12th year of teaching and embark on yet what feels like a brand new journey as my entire administration at my school is brand new and at least 50% of the staff is new to our campus/ teaching! We are anxious and excited to see what 2016-2017 holds! 

Summer 2016 was AMAZING and we cannot wait for Summer 2017! It's been great... let's do this again in 9 months! 

God is good... ALL the time! 

North by Northwest- 6 Magnificent Days

Alaskan Pre-Cruise Land Vacation to the Pacific Northwest

June 2016

We fell in LOVE with Vancouver... We WILL be going back! 

Seattle... A west coast jewel and a great city to visit! 

Chris and I have been planning a cruise to Alaska for over 3 years and we knew since we were sailing out of Seattle. WA and neither of us had been before that we would be planning a trip to Seattle. Little did we know this "short" pre-cruise trip would turn into a full vacation before it was all said and done. We flew into Seattle and then immediately drove 180 miles to Vancouver, BC, Canada and stayed there for a few days before returning to Seattle for 3 days. This turned out to be an incredible trip and even more than what we had hoped for. 

I have created 5 separate entries for our daily activities and attractions. Each day has tips, tricks and most importantly pictures. I've even highlighted tips in red. I hope this helps you plan a trip to the Pacific Northwest. 

Day #1- No Rest for the Weary (Vancouver)

Day #2- Oh Canada (Vancouver)

Day #3- On the Waterfront (Seattle)

Day #4- Space (Needle) where 57 MILLION Have Gone Before (Seattle)

Day #5- In Flight (Seattle)

Day #6- Baseball Bucket-list (Seattle/ Post-Cruise)

Day #7- I Hate Flying (Seattle/ Houston)

Thank you Lord for this opportunity to see Your handiwork and experience 2 great cities. This trip was such a blessing but the true reason we came to the Pacific Northwest was to board a cruise ship to Alaska... Stay tuned for that blog! 

God is good... ALL the time! 

North by Northwest- I Hate Flying

* Disclaimer- Chris and I traveled to the Pacific Northwest and a cruise to Alaska in June 2016 as a 10 year anniversary trip. This will be a multiple entry blog that will highlight our activities, our reflections and of course pictures of these gorgeous locations! I have highlighted the tips and tricks of each post in red. I hope this helps in planning trips to Vancouver, Seattle or Alaska! Thanks again for following along! 

June 29, 2016
Seattle, WA  to Houston, TX 

It has been 14 days of pure bliss but now we are ready to be home. After a glorious day of baseball and a wonderful trip and cruise, all we want is to get home as soon as we can. Our flight was at 10:35AM and we left the hotel before 7:30AM which gave us plenty of time. 

Once we arrived at the airport we had to wait in an old style check-in line for the airline, Southwest. This turned out to be a 30 minute wait just to turn in luggage and bags. Then we rounded the corner to see one of the longest security lines we have ever seen and we have flown out of Atlanta and even Heathrow Airport in London. This was crazy. We ended up using an additional line down the airport but this too was crazy long. It wrapped around 3 separate zig-zag lines and we were in this for nearly 1 hour. Once we finally got through that line it was already 9:30AM. That whole process took nearly 2 hours. It was easily the worst US airport we have ever experienced and put somewhat of a damper on our "Let's go back to Alaska" feelings. 

I grabbed my official last Seattle Starbucks and sat in the waiting area. There were already a lot of passengers including countless older passengers with wheelchairs and walkers and a very large family bring large carry-ons and extra baggage. Not to mention the terrible smelling passenger sitting near us. I was already fighting some stomach issues all trip and was anxious about the flight but this smell was just too much. Between that and the massive amount of sneezing and coughing, I was just ready to WALK home. I am a HUGE germ-a-phobe and this was killing me. 

Our plane was late arriving which in turn made our departure late as well. On Southwest you get a boarding "group" and it is open seating. On the 1st flight we lucked out, by the grace of God, and got the very 1st row with 2 seats and ample leg room but this flight was proving to be not as good. We ended up 5 rows from the back near a family of 8 kids, some college girls and a crying baby! When I first sat down I noticed Chris's tray table covered in a nasty flem I can only assume was snot. I just sat down and said a prayer! 

Our 737 plane finally arrived... JUST GET ME HOME! 

We ended up taxi on the runway for nearly 30 minutes before finally leaving the ground. The flight was fine and we were able to see lots of the beautiful areas heading back to Houston but between being grossed out and my claustrophobia kicked into high gear I decided it would be OK if we didn't fly for a while. 

Now this is something I already miss... I have never seen such a gorgeous mountain!
Mt. Rainer will now always have a special place in my heart! 

A gorgeous lake near a mountain close to Mt. Rainer! 

A Houston suburb... Not sure which but I am guessing Cypress area! 

Ahhh... Houston traffic! Even from the air it looks TERRIBLE! 

Downtown Houston... It feels good to be home! 

We landed around 5:30PM, about 30 minutes late, and got our bags and were headed home by 6PM. We chose the only non-stop flight offered that day but unfortunately that meant getting home during Houston rush hour. It turned out to be not as bad as usual and we were home in The Woodlands before 7PM. 

4 hours and nearly 40* difference... Let me tell you, we were in SHOCK!

We got home and went and picked up our dogs from our dog sitter but unfortunately we were not picking up our kids until the next day from my parents in Tyler, TX. For the first time in a LONG time I did not unpack or do just about anything. I crashed on the couch as we watched some shows on the DVR. We were exhausted! 

It was literally the trip of a lifetime and we are so grateful we got to experience it together. We are so lucky to have wonderful parents who helped take care of our kids in our absence and supported us along the way. We do plan on going back to Alaska for another anniversary trip but it will be a few years!
Thank you Jesus for this and the many other blessings you have given us. We are so undeserving! 

Once again, I am speechless! All I can say is... 

God is good! ALL the time! 

North by Northwest- In Flight

* Disclaimer- Chris and I traveled to the Pacific Northwest and a cruise to Alaska in June 2016 as a 10 year anniversary trip. This will be a multiple entry blog that will highlight our activities, our reflections and of course pictures of these gorgeous locations! I have highlighted the tips and tricks of each post in red. I hope this helps in planning trips to Vancouver, Seattle or Alaska! Thanks again for following along! 

Day 5- June 20, 2016
Seattle, WA 

The day started with a BANG and it just kept getting better! 

My grandfather was an engineer for Boeing in Wichita, KS creating and building fuselages of massive Boeing planes so I knew when visiting Seattle I had to tour the Boeing Future of Flight Tour (the main plant) in Everett, WA. We were on the 1st tour of the day so we left our hotel before 7:30AM for the 20 minute commute north to Everett. We arrived and were able to see the DreamLifter (a large 787 which transports airplane parts from various Boeing plants, including Wichita) take off. On this tour there were no belongings allowed. Meaning no phones, no cameras or even purses and in fact, a security officer followed us throughout the tour to be sure no one was taking pictures in any way. Boeing builds passenger and freighter jets at this facility and several are military grade so it has to be a closed tour with no phone or cameras. That is too bad because what we saw was nothing short of AMAZING! Here are some great facts: 

• there are over 6 MILLION pieces on a 747
• The new 777X wingspan will be 253 feet and will have to fold up to be able to fit in today's airports (Comes out in 2020) 
• The new wings will be 110ft long each and will be made from carbon fiber polymers.
• This plant is currently producing 20-23 planes   

The tour lasted 90 minutes as cost $20/ per person. I would HIGHLY recommend taking the 1st tour of the day at 8AM as this turned out to be the private VIP tour. We only had 13 people on this tour and it usually runs with 50 people. It covered 3 bays of the largest building on earth and they transported you by bus. It covered well over 2 miles on foot. This was one of our favorite things we did in Seattle and our entire 14 day trip. (All of the photos were taken from the gallery) 

I am ready to learn about my grandfather's legacy!
I miss you Grandpa! 

The 747-8 tail... Chris is under the 7! 

The largest engine in the aerospace industry. 

The gallery alone is worth the $20 in our opinion! 

A brand new 777 for Turkish Airlines about to take off to it's resting place! 

Part of the Boeing plant near the highway! 

Turkish Airlines 777 taking off! 

Click here- 777 taking off

Later that afternoon we had a helicopter tour booked in south Seattle so we had to travel over an hour to get there. We made great time and there was little traffic so we stopped south of downtown Seattle at Slim's Last Chance, a Diners, Drive-ins and Dives of Food Network. This turned out to be the absolute best chili I have ever had. It was very overpriced at $9-15 per bowl but it was worth it in my opinion! If you have time and like touring DDD I would suggest eating at Slim's Last Chance. 

This chili was so good we got a bowl AND a cup!
If you like chili, and especially if you like Food Network's DDD, be sure to check it out! 

We made our way to Northwest Helicopters in SeaTac, WA for our private helicopter tour. I didn't know what to expect but this surpassed anything I could have ever dreamed. We took a 20 minute tour all over Seattle. We saw Bill Gates mansion, University of Washington and a special flyover Safeco Field. It was a very pricey 20 minutes at $155 for 2 people (that was using a Groupon too) but I have found a way to see a city from now on! It was incredible! Thank you Plexus for proving additional money to do such a thing! Check them out HERE.

We are ready for take-off! 

We have our seatbelts on and we are ready! 

Let's get this started! 

Left- $million homes Right- Bill Gates House- $BILLION house

Mt.Baker on the US/ Canada border in north Washington. 

Ballard Locks from the air! 

I love this city! 

Pacific Science Center in Seattle Center! 

Pike Place Market from the sky! 

Starbucks Headquarters in South Seattle. 

The Boeing plant in Renton, WA.
This is the facility that makes the 737 models. 

Another GREAT shot of Seattle! 

The highlight of the entire helicopter trip!
I have been to 26 baseball stadiums in my life but NEVER seen one like this!
I LOVED IT! 

Watch some of our tour below!

Last part of our helicopter tour

We saw the Woodland Park Zoo from the helicopter but we wanted to check it out by foot so we used our last City Pass coupon to see yet another big city zoo. This zoo was so pleasant as the temperatures were perfect at 65* and it was not crowded. Most of all we enjoyed the natural feeling this zoo displayed. This zoo charges $13/ per person to get in but it was included in the City Pass for $74. This is a definite family attraction and if you have kids I would make it a must see. Be forewarned that the parking is $6 and is hard to come by. "Get ready for payment" blazed from the machine as we pulled up! 

We really enjoyed this zoo! 

Awe... Cute little teddy bear!
Little did we know we would see a REAL grizzly bear in the wild in a few short days! 

Penguins... We have not seen these in a zoo since London! 

The spotted Jaguar was VERY active! We loved it! 

This zoo was lined with beautiful flowers and plants! 

We left the zoo close to 5PM which was not smart as that was just the beginning of rush hour traffic. It was not too bad and much better than what we are used to in Houston and we were back at the hotel within an hour. We were able to get back in time for happy hour in the lobby for drinks and snacks which was a nice added touch. It is free for all guests and a great way to unwind at the end of the day. I think all Embassy Suites do this on a daily basis. 

We then went back to the room and ordered pizza from Zeke's Pizza, a local pizza place. It was pretty good but nothing to write home about. It cost $25 for one pizza and delivery so it was a little overpriced as well!  We spent the rest of the evening re-packing and getting ready to board the ship to Alaska the next day! 

Zeke's Mega Meat Pizza- $25 for a large... I would say overpriced and overrated!
BUT everyone knows Carnival does not do pizza well so it worked for us! 

The day we have been saving for and counting down for well over 3 years was less than 12 hours away and I was so anxious. We could hardly wait... less than 12 hours to go! Tomorrow we will be NORTHBOUND to ALASKA! 

I hope these tips, tricks and insight of Vancouver and Seattle have helped you plan a trip to the Pacific Northwest. If you have any questions, please feel free to comment! I appreciate y'all following along! "North by Northwest" was our 1st land/ city vacation in well over 7 years and we loved it! Thank you Lord for this blessing! 

God is good... All the time! 

Missed a day?

Day 1/ Vancouver- No Rest for the Weary

Day 2/ Vancouver- Oh Canada

Day 3/ Seattle- On the Waterfront

Day 4/Seattle- Space (Needle) where 57 MILLION have gone before

North by Northwest- Space (Needle) Where 57 MILLION Have Gone Before

* Disclaimer- Chris and I traveled to the Pacific Northwest and a cruise to Alaska in June 2016 as a 10 year anniversary trip. This will be a multiple entry blog that will highlight our activities, our reflections and of course pictures of these gorgeous locations! I have highlighted the tips and tricks of each post in red. I hope this helps in planning trips to Vancouver, Seattle or Alaska! Thanks again for following along! 

Day 4- June 19, 2016

Seattle, WA 

Happy Father's Day from Seattle. WA!

 I knew I wanted this day to be very special for Chris, especially since we would be away from the kids, so I booked a very neat bicycle tour of Seattle for us. After a good night's sleep in a hot hotel room we were out the door and headed to Seattle Center. Seattle Center is the location of the Space Needle, EMP museum, Pacific Science museum and the Key Arena. It is approximately 1 mile from downtown Seattle and is accessible from downtown by the monorail. 

Again, there was little to no traffic on our 15 mile commute, but keep in mind it was Sunday! Once we arrived and got parked we noticed that the Space Needle was not busy at all. We originally planned to go to the Needle after our bike tour but changed our minds once we realized it was open early and there were no lines. We were up in the needle before 8:15AM and enjoying the early morning colors. The Space Needle was also part of the Seattle City Pass which cost $74/ per person. With the City Pass you could go up in the Space Needle TWO times, one during the day and one during the last 3 hours of business (8:30PM-11:30PM).  If purchased separately the Space Needle would cost $23.75/ per person for a single visit to the skydeck. This was the main reason we purchased the City Pass as I knew I wanted to go up in the daytime and the nighttime! 

I've arrived... I am SO excited! 

Hello from 521 feet up! 

This thing is HUGE! 

Skyscraper Selfie! 

The Mountain was out! (It was out everyday at some point while we were there) 

I absolutely LOVE skyscrapers! 

Our Seattle Bicycle Tour began at 9:30AM so we came down from the skydeck around 9AM so we could walk several blocks to the starting point of the tour. We were able to get to the tour starting point in plenty of time and get suited up in our gear for the tour. This tour was labeled as a "FLAT" course but come to find out it was flat "for Seattle". I almost feel as if it was false advertising. If you have been to Seattle you know that the streets are NOT flat and there are many hills. Think about along the same lines of San Francisco. I knew before we left the starting point that it would be harder than I thought but man was I wrong... IT WAS KILLER! We biked all over Seattle including Olympic Monument Park, Fremont, Union Lake and so much more and it was well over 15 miles. The elevation was loaded with hills and climbs that were just brutal. I went into it thinking it would be a "stroll the park" and it was anything but! We used a Groupon for 2 people and paid $76. The normal cost of this tour is $69/ per person. I think we would both do it again but I would be a little more prepared. Check out their website Seattle Bicycle Tours.

This really was a good tour! 

Chris choosing his bike and getting ready to bike 15 miles! 

At the Ballard Locks... This was AMAZING and I am so glad the tour took us there!
It was on my list to do and we just didn't have time! 

Ballard Locks! 

This was BEFORE the big hill... I didn't take an after!
That's because I was trying to call an UBER... Just kidding! 

This was a "festival" going on in Fremont... Let me just say "It was INTERESTING"!

Freemont Bridge

Near Lake Union

Haha... This is why I had a love/hate relationship with this tour!
But I love this video! 

At Seattle Center... the last stop of the tour! 

Here is something you don't see everyday... A Bari sax duet featuring a BASS clarinet playing jazz with a drummer too... only on the west coast! I loved it! 

After the bike tour we headed towards Seattle Center to get some lunch at the Armory before we went to the Pacific Science Center. The Armory was a HUGE food court style of area near the Space Needle, EMP museum and Pacific Science Center. I had read all about it and knew which places to go to. While I went to Skillet Chris went looking for other places but quickly remembered I had his wallet thanks to the bike tour so we both ate at Skillet. I had the grilled cheese with bacon jam (OMG... I could walk back for that) and Chris had a special blue cheese burger. The prices were somewhat high and this meal costs us $30 but it was worth it. We also got us and my mother in law some fancy cinamon pecans at Ceres Roasting and they were also very good. Be sure to check out the Armory if you are going to be spending the day at Seattle Center. 

Grilled Cheese with bacon JAM... Can you say "Yes please"! 

After we ate we went to the Pacific Science Center which was a really neat museum which was also on the City Pass. The City Pass gave you 3 main attractions (Space Needle X2, Argosy Harbor Cruise and Seattle Aquarium) and then either Chuilly Glass OR Pacific Science Center and Woodland Park Zoo or EMP Museum. We chose to go to the Pacific Science Center as Chris thought it would be more interesting than the glass museum. It turned out to be very entertaining but LOADED with kids! It costs $25/ per person for regular admission. Also the City Pass gave you an IMAX ticket which was a great addition. We enjoyed it very much but I do not think we would go to this museum again, especially without our kids! 

At the Pacific Science Center! 

Hello Dino-feet! 

The IMAX National Park movie was the saving grace for us at the PSC!
It was a great museum but for 2 teachers at the beginning of the summer... it was just too busy with kids for us! 

Found these "street performers" at the Seattle Center!
It made me really miss my little boy Luke! He would have loved this! 

After the PSC we headed towards the car and hoped to be able to get into the Bill Gates Welcome center but they were closed on Sundays. We then went back to downtown to park our car for the evening. We knew we would be back to the Space Needle but wanted to go back to Pike Place Market for dinner. It was already 4:30PM and we knew the vendors and market itself would be closing soon. We went to Piroshky Piroshky first as I knew it was a HUGE hit at the market and our tour did not stop there. It did not disappoint and we got a savory and sweet piroshki. We got 4 pastries and the grand total was less than $12 so they are reasonably priced. It is not to be missed in the PPM. 

Time for round 2 at Pike Place Market... This time, we choose the vendors! 

Piroshky Piroshky menu... They ALL looked good! 

Then we went to Daily Dozen as I wanted to try some of their other varieties of mini donuts. We got there at 4:55PM and they were telling people they were all sold out. I was sad and then the owner gave me a sack of 6 assorted donuts FOR FREE. I was so appreciative and gave her a big tip in the tip jar. I was amazed at these little delicacies but more so by the owners! If you are a donuts love you HAVE to check out Daily Dozen in the Economy Market area of PPM. 

Then we went to Beecher's in hopes of getting some of their flagship cheese and crackers but they only sold the cheese in a large block. That did not stop Chris from buying it and tearing off small pieces for his dinner. 

We ended the evening at Starbucks at First and Pine. We ordered some caffeine as we knew we would be up late to see Seattle at night from the Space Needle and then we sat outside in the gorgeous 55* temps to people watch. It was quite a site to see. Seattle as legalized "medical" marijuana and let me just say... that whole city is stoned! But nonetheless it made for GREAT people watching. This is a great Starbucks to sit and rest while in Seattle. 

One of my favorite sights of the whole trip.
An older man with a walker and a #SWAG hat. He crossed the road and a person commented and he started dancing in the street. We saw him after our cruise too! Just too funny! 

Chris was tired so he went to the car to take a nap while I went to Target to get final things for our cruise. While I was there I saw a homeless guy get arrested and it was a complete show! I have seen some crazy stuff in my east coast travels but this was insane. Then I went to Walgreen's to get a corkscrew and found one but it had a pocket knife on it so I knew it would get confiscated on the ship. But much to my surprise the security guard at Walgreen's said "Ma'am, I can fix that for you". Then he broke off the knife part. This was the best 30 minutes in all Seattle! I felt like a local. 

Chris couldn't fall asleep so we drove down to Safeco to see the area before next Tuesday's tour and game. Then we went to Kerry Park as I knew it was the place to go to see the entire city and I knew the mountain was out so it was going to be a great evening. It turned out to be the best evening to go as tons of locals were there to photograph Mt. Rainer. It was beautiful and again, another FREE attraction. Be sure to check out Kerry Park on the northwest side of Seattle. It offers AMAZING views. 

We LOVED this park!
It would be a great place for a picnic too! 

Chris was already over the picture taking... little did he know it was just getting started!

Mt. Rainer taken from Kerry Park at 8:00PM.

The best picture of Seattle the whole trip! 

Around 8:30PM we headed back to Seattle Center to go to the Space Needle at night. I am glad we got there when we did because it was BUSY! It took us about 40 minutes just to get to the actual elevator but the views were worth it. I have always been a huge fan of skyscrapers and viewing cities at night and the Space Needle did not disappoint! We saw an array of colors and the sun setting over the Olympia Mountain Range. It was incredible!  Again, this was part of our City Pass but at $25 per person per trip to the top I would suggest going to SkyView Observatory during the day and the Space Needle at night! 

This is our FREE picture from SPACEBOOK... Taken and provided by the Space Needle!
I loved this feature! 

One of the 1st pictures taken from the Space Needle.
This was taken at 9:20PM! 

This picture leaves me just in AWE of God's creation! 

This is the Fraiser Crane tower... Elliot Bay condos do not exist so to get pictures of Seattle and Elliot Bay the producers climbed this tower! We thought it was hilarious! 

The Olympia Mountains west of Seattle! 

This was taken around 9:55PM. 

Goodnight Seattle... We LOVE you!
(Frasier Crane reference!)

This was taken at 10:45PM. I love to see the color changes! 

We left after 10:30PM and headed up to Lynnwood to our hotel. About halfway there a local kept honking at me and rolled down his window to tell me my headlights were not on. Yep... "Stupid tourist" moment for me too! We laughed and laughed once again! Gosh... what is wrong with us? 

Father's Day turned out to be a very busy and fun day! We biked 15 miles all over Seattle and got to see the city from 520 feet above! Our last day in Seattle and our last day before we board the Carnival Legend for our much anticipated cruise to Alaska was coming up and we could not wait! Day 5 in Seattle, the Boeing Tour and our helicopter tour are up next. Thanks for following along! 

God is good... All the time! 

Missed a day?

Day 1/ Vancouver- No Rest for the Weary

Day 2/ Vancouver- Oh Canada

Day 3/ Seattle- On the Waterfront